Temporary shoe-lacing.



No. vii-mae.

UNITED STATES LAWRENCE J. DRISCOLL AND JOHN W. WASHBURN, MINNESOTA.

ilatented November 24, 1909;.

or MINNEAPOLIS,

TEMPORARY SHOE-LACING.

S`PECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 744,729, dated November 24, 1903.

Application filed October 26, 1901. Serial No. 80,031. (No model.)

To yaZZ whom it may concern: y

Be it known that we, LAWRENCEJ. DRIscoLL and JOHN W.WAsHBURN, of Minneapolis, Hennepin county, State of Minnesota,v

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Temporary Shoe-Lacings, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to means for holding the lacing edges of shoe-tops together while the same are being lasted. Heretofore it has been customary to lace up the shoe-tops before putting them on the lasts preparatory to attaching the soles and also before the re' lasting operation after the soles are attached. The lacing has been done usually with twine, an operation-involving considerable time and labor and the use of a large amount of twine, which is cut by the operator and thrown away when the lasts are removed.

or binder having improved arms or hooks to enter a shoe-eyelet for temporarily fastening the lacing edges together.

Further, the invention consists in providing improved means for rendering the arms distensible to permit the convenient removal of the fastener after the shoe-upper is drawn tightly over the last.

Further, the invention consists in providing means for limiting the backward movement of said arms.

Further, the invention consists in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims. The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in whichl Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe with our improved lacing attached thereto. Fig.

2 is a side view of the binder or lacing device. 3 is a plan view showing the position of will assume upon the foot ofthe wearer.

Y the arms when locked. Fig. 4 is a similar View showing the arms distended. Fig. 5 is a transversedetail section showing the opposite arms Within the shoe-eyelets. Fig. 6 is an end View of the pivoted stems. Fig. 7 is a transverse section on the line a: of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a perspective of oneof the binderthe sole, andit is then necessary that the lacing edges of the shoe-top be drawn and fastened together into the position that they It has been customary heretofore to lace up the tops with twine before securing them on the last, and the temporarily-laced topsare then piled up ready for the lasting-machine operator. After the top is drawn and formed over the last, if the sole is to be sewed on the inside the twine lacing is cut and the last removed and the top is laced again after relasting. The operation of lacing the tops with twine involves considerable time and labor, and as the twine is out by the operator and thrown away when the lasts are removed it follows that a large amount of twine is used.

To obviate the labor and expense arising from the use of twine lacing, we provide a temporary lacing device, clasp, or fastener, comprising a series of arms or fingers adapted to enter the opposite eyelet-holes and tie or draw together the lacing edges of the shoetop. 'lfo prevent the arms or fingers slipping out of the eyelets or becoming detached from the shoe-top during the successive steps in the manufacture of the shoe, we provide means for spreading the.pairs of fingers or arms and locking the same by pressure or other suitable means within the shoe-eyelets.

As any temporary fastener or lacing must be capable of being bent, folded, or twisted with the flexible shoe top in the various stages of manufacture, we provide means for IOO hinging or pivoting the fingers or arms so that they may be folded one upon another, and to prevent scratching or marring the eyelets when the fasteners are detached from the shoe-top we provide arms that are capable of being moved transversely with respect to the rows of eyelets and means for locking them when in use.

Our invention is capable of various modifications in construction; but the form which we prefer to use is illustrated in the drawings, in which 6 represents a pivot-pin connecting the inwardly-turned ends of arm-carrying stems or pins 7 and 8. These stems are preferably made of flat metal strips or wires, as shown. The inwardly-turned ends of the stems 7 and 8 are preferably recessed and provided with shoulders 7', which engaging each other as the stems are separated limit their outward movement. Upon the pins or stems 7 and S we arrange or fasten arms or fingers 9 9 and 10 10. These arms are preferably stamped out of sheet metal and are provided with brackets 11 and 12, that have bearings on said stems and prevent twisting or binding of the arms when the operator grasps their outer ends to slide them together on the stems to disengage their hooked ends from the eyelets. The double bearing for the fastener-arms also prevents them from tilting or twisting out of engagement with the eyelets when in use. The slots or holes in the arms through which the stems pass are provided, preferably, with shoulders 11', which as the arms are rotated on the stems will engage said stems and limit the movement laterally of said arms. The arms are preferably alike and are arranged on the stems with the brackets on the inside of one pair and on the outside of the other, and said pairs of arms are bent in opposite directions, so that they will slip easily into and out of the eyelets. Each arm or finger is provided with a depending end 13, having a head or nib 14, that is inwardly and diagonally turned to engage the under side and inner walls of the eylets and prevent the fastener from falling off or being pulled out ofengagementwith the shoe-top. On each stem between the arms we provide a light spring 15, that is adapted to hold the arms apart and press their depending ends against the walls of the eyelets and hold the nibs 14 in place beneath the same. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4,we prefer to limit the outward movement of the arms on their stems by enlarging the stems by means of punch-marks 111 therein. The arms are normally held apart to the limit of their movement by the springs 15; but may be readily moved nearer together by compressing said springs, so that the arms will tit into differently-spaced eyelet holes. After the fastener has been placed on the shoe-top the upper is drawn tightly over the last preparatory to attaching the sole, and the arms of the fastener are under tension t0 hold the edges of the top together.

As the fastener must be removed before taking out the last, it is necessary to provide means for releasing or relieving the strain on the arms to permit their hooked ends to be removed without marring or scratching the eyelets. With this end in view we provide a hook 17 on one of the pivoted stems that is adapted to engage the other pivoted stem and lock it and the arms against transverse movement with respect to the shoe-eyelets while the upper is being formed or drawn over the last. As soon, however, as the lasting operation is completed, the stem may be disengaged from the hook, permitting the arms to be distended, relieving the strain upon the fasteners, and permitting the hooked ends of the arms or iingers to be detached from the eyelets.

The device will not shake out of the shoetop in handling the same during the course of manufacturing the shoe, and the top may be twisted, turned, or folded as itpasses through the hands of the various operators without danger of breaking the connection between the fasteners and the shoe-top. The ends of the arms, as shown in Fig. 8, are rounded on the side opposite the diagonal toes or nibs, so that when the arms are pressed together after the spreading of the stems and unlocking of the arms the ends of the same will slip easily out of the eyelets and permit the quick removal of the fastener. As the springs between the fastener-arms permit their ready adjustment on the stems, it is 0bvious that any variation in the distance between the eyelet-holes of the various shoes will not in any way affect the applicability of the device as a temporary lacing.

Our invention is particularly adapted for use on shoes having the soles sewed on the inside. In making these shoes it is necessary to remove the last before sewing the sole. Hence the lacing must be cut before the last is removed and laced up again after relasting. By the use of our invention this double lacing of the shoe-top is avoided, as our temporary lacing can be quickly removed before the sole is sewed on and as readily attached again after relasting.

Heretofore the shoe-tops were not laced up uniformly. In some of them the twine lacing was drawn taut and in others loose, and in consequence when the vamp was formed over the last some of them would be drawn up tighter than others. By the use of our fastener all these difficulties are avoided and the shoe-tops will be formed and drawn uniformly over the lasts.

Should any part ofthe device become broken or worn, the same may be readily repaired by removing the rivet whereon the stem supporting the broken or worn partis pivoted.

Our invention includes any form or arrangement of hooked fingers, arms, or straps that may be used to bridge the space between the lacing edges of the shoe-top, the arms being held thereon by engagement with the walls of the eyelets, and wherein the arms on IOC IIO

I the same side of the shoe-top are adjustable toward or from each other We do not,there fore, wish to confine ourselves to the speciiic construction shown herein, as many modications of our invention will suggest themselves to any one skilled in the art.

We claim as our invention- 1. A temporary lacing, comprising arms bridging the shoe-top and having downwardly and inwardly turned'points engaging the under sides of the shoe-eyelets, supports for said arms, and means for holding the arms, on the same side of the shoe-top, apart and permitting their movement toward or from` each other. y

2. Atemporary lacing, comprising arms arranged in pairs upon opposite sides of the shoe-top and havin-g ends to enter the eyelets,

supports for said arms, and means for pressing the arms of each pair apart and permitting relative movement thereof.

3. A temporary lacing comprising hinged arms arranged in pairs upon opposite sides of the shoe-top and having downwardlyturned ends, a support for each pair of arms,a hinged connection between the supports and means for holding the arms of each pair apart and permitting their movement toward or from I,

each other.

4. A temporary lacing, comprising pivotally-connected supports adapted to be placed side by side upon opposite sides of a shoe-top, and eyelet-engaging members arranged in pairs upon said supports respectively and adjustable lengthwise thereof.

5. A temporary lacing, comprising suitable connected -supports arranged upon opposite sides of the opening in a shoe-top, and eyeletengaging members arranged in pairs upon said supports with both members of a pair upon the same support, each member of the pair being movabie independently of the other member of the same pair.

6. A temporary lacing, comprising pairs of oppositely-extending hooks, -supports therefor, the hooks of each pair being slidable toward or from cach other on the support, and interposed pressure-springs.v

' ,7. A temporarylacing, comprising pairs of outwardly -extending hooked. arms, means yieldingly connecting the arms of each pair, each arm of a pair being separable with respect to the opposite arm of the other pair,-

and means forV securing or locking the opposite arms of the different pairs against .accidental separation.

8. A temporary lacing, comprising suitable connected supports arranged upon opposite sides ofthe opening in a shoe-top, and eyeletengaging arms arranged in pairs upon said supports with both arms of a pair upon the same support, each arm of a pair having a bracket to prevent twisting or binding of the arms when moved to be disengaged from the eyelets and being movable independentlyT of the other arm of the same pair. l

9. A temporary lacing, comprising pairs of hooked arms, stems pivotally connected together whereon said arms are pivoted, said f arms being relativelyslidable on said stems.

10. Atemporarylacing, comprising pairs of arms, supports whereon said arms are pivoted, said supports being connected together, and means for limiting Ythe rotary movement of said arms on their supports.

1l. A temporary lacing, comprising stems pivotally connected at one end,arms slidably ed to enter the shoe-eyelets, means for hold` ing said arms apart, and means for securing the free ends of said stems together.

14. A top-fastener for shoes comprising two hinged members provided with slidable eyelet-engaging hooks, and Vmeans for securing the members together for retaining an upper on a last, substantially as described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 23d day of October, 1901.

LAWRENCE J. DRISCOLL. JOHN W. WASHBURN.

In presence of- RICHARD PAUL, M. C. NooNAN.

`arranged in pairs upon said stems and rota- 

